Bishop Moore sweeps two matches en route to boys volleyball title

KISSIMMEE – Bishop Moore's state semifinal sweep against nationally ranked Miami Columbus Saturday morning meant the Hornets were a heavy favorite when they took the court for an afternoon title tilt.

But that didn't diminish the excitement after championship point as Bishop Moore easily defeated Miami Sunset 25-10, 25-13, 25-23 at Silver Spurs Arena.

"This team has come such a long way. Everyone worked so hard for this and we really deserve it," said Christian Franceschi, one of 11 players who donned a suit immediately following the match for prom.

Franceschi recorded 35 kills in the two matches to lead the Hornets (26-2) to their second state title. That matches Southwest Miami and Boca Raton Spanish River for the most since the FHSAA made boys volleyball a recognized sport in 2003.

Bishop Moore, ranked 26th in the nation by ESPN, didn't drop a game in its final 15 matches and defeated three teams in the top-50 of ESPN's rankings en route to the title.

The Hornets' effort in the final led to the most lopsided title match since 2004.

"It's nice that you can say when it counted, we ran the table on everybody," Bishop Moore coach Tom Snodgrass said. "We didn't give anyone a chance to beat us."

Earlier in the day, Winter Park's (24-5) best season in school history ended with 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-14 loss to Sunset in the semifinals.

In the fourth game, sophomore Evan Lockwood sustained neck and back injuries after a collision with teammate Jordan Little. Lockwood stayed on the court for 32 minutes and was transported to Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee.

He was later moved to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he had movement in his arms and legs but was still undergoing evaluations Saturday night.

"I went to go hit and he came underneath me," Little said. "His head went into my stomach and I don't remember what happened after that."

The Wildcats, making their first ever semifinal appearance, scored the first point after play resumed for an 8-6 lead, but struggled with lineup changes and their emotions from that point forward. A run of six consecutive points gave the Knights a 12-8 lead they never relinquished.

"Their main focus was on how Evan is doing and not how we're going to win this game and I understand that," Winter Park coach Pedro Davila said.